Silver Pendants
by thefaultinourstarbucks
Summary: When a child is born, they are given a silver pendant to wear around their necks. Their perfect soul mate has a matching one, that fits together like puzzle pieces. Ginny is in her sixth year at Hogwarts, and she has found her soul mate, but it's not who she thinks it is.
1. Soul Mate

Ginny fingered the silver pendant hanging from her neck. The cold temperature of the metal gave her immediate comfort. She wrapped her hand around it and squeezed tightly, closing her eyes. Ginny had been wearing the necklace for as long as she could remember, since her Birth Day. She knew all about the pendants. All of her older brothers wore similar ones, and her parents wore them. Theirs fit together like puzzle pieces, to show that they were soul mates. When a child was conceived, their soul mate was calculated and selected using data from the unborn child's parents and from the fetus, to figure out the perfect person that was meant for them. This way, no one could make a mistake in who they loved. Ginny laughed softly. That would be awful! What if someone chose wrong? When the child was born, they received their necklace, and it was a law that you must wear your necklace at all times from the day you are born, your Birth Day, to your Death Day. Sometimes the necklaces heated when you were near your soul mate, or changed colours slightly. All her brothers had yet to find a match, except for Bill. His necklace fit perfectly with Fleur Delacour's pendant. He told her at his necklace had turned an off-white instead of silvery whenever they were close. Once you find your partner, your pendant turns gold. Bill, her mother, and her father were the only ones with gold pendants. Bill had met Fleur when Ginny was thirteen in her third year, and Harry Potter was competing in the Triwizard Tournament. Harry Potter. When she was younger, perhaps six, she had gotten smacked because she said she loved him. Saying love about anyone but your soul mate was forbidden. She shuddered at the memory. She brought her necklace to her lips and breathed on it. Her necklace was a shiny silver, like all the pendants were. It had a round outer side, smooth and comforting, and a bumpy inner side that looked like a puzzle piece. She knew it would fit perfectly with her soul mate's pendant, because they were made for each other. The necklaces were too.

**OoO**

Ginny had been at Hogwarts for four years, and she hadn't found her soul mate yet. There was this one boy, Kristopher Porter, whose necklace was rather similar to hers. She had practically had a mini panic attack when she spotted him, and he had blanched dramatically. But as they had walked past each other, Ginny had noticed his pendant had multiple, but barely noticeable, small bumps on the outer rim, while hers was perfectly smooth. She had been incredibly relieved, as Kristopher was in Slytherin and it was rumoured he snuck into girl's lavatories and cursed them when they came out of the stalls. She cringed just thinking about it. Ginny shook the memory from her head and continued walking down the hall. She passed Harry, Ron, Hermione, Seamus, Dean, and Neville. They were all laughing, walking down the way lazily, and Ginny felt something against her chest. Her necklace was slightly warmer than it was before. This happened constantly, turned just a tad hotter. She knew this meant her soul mate was nearby, but she was beginning to doubt the necklace, because it happened so often and she hadn't found her mate. She grabbed the silver chain of her pendants and clung onto it so harshly that when she removed her hands there were indents from the chain. She rubbed her hands on her robes and joined her brother and his friends.

"Hey, Gin," Harry said, smiling.

"Hi, Harry." She grinned back, brushing her long russet hair behind her ears.

"What are you doing here?" Ron demanded, shoving a Chocolate Cauldron in his mouth.  
>"Talking to you lot, what do you reckon I'm doing?" Ginny snapped.<p>

Hermione placed her hand on Ron's shoulder. He relaxed immediately. "Ron, it's fine if she stays with us. I like having your sister around. You don't care if she's here, do you?"

"Yeah, it's fine, Ginny, you can stay here." Ron smiled at Hermione, smitten. Then he drew away from her touch as if scorched. Contact between anyone but your immediate family or your soul mate was strictly forbidden. Hermione jumped away, flustered and embarrassed, and knocked into Harry, who bumped into Ginny.

"Sorry, Gin," Harry said apologetically.

"No, no, it's okay," she reassured him. Her pendant grew slightly hotter still and felt as though it was a second heart, thumping against her chest. She willed it to stop. It's not as though she could tell who her soul mate was, if he was even in this group of five boys. Sometimes the pendants sense whether or not they are within a close range of each other, or even just in the same building.

Ron glanced down at his pendant peeking through his robes.

"Hey, Hermione, want to eat lunch with us?" He offered. She nodded enthusiastically.  
>"Oh, I'd love that," she exclaimed.<p>

"Are you guys soul mates, or what?" Seamus grumbled teasingly. That was a saying often used when two people who were not soul mates were flirting with each other. It was a forbidden thing to do, but it wasn't harshly enforced since no matter how much they liked each other, they were not allowed to ever be together. They simply weren't meant for each other.

"As if," Hermione laughed. Ron looked crestfallen. Ginny sighed, exasperated. How come he didn't understand the rules? Everyone else did! She remembered this one time when George liked this one girl, Angelina, and he knew that he couldn't like her, so he backed off. How come Ron can't just back off?!

"Ginny?" Harry said. "Gin?"

"Huh? What?" Her eyes widened, shocked out of her daze. Harry chuckled.

"Nothing. I was just wondering if you'd like to study one night with me? I've heard you're pretty good at Astronomy, and I can't even tell the Big Dipper from the Little Dipper!"

"Sure, I'd love to, Harry," Ginny smiled. She couldn't tell if the warmth coursing through her was from her overactive heart or her pendant. They parted ways when the group headed to lunch.

"Bye, Harry, Hermione," Ginny waved.  
>"Bye, Gin," Harry smiled again.<br>"Well, goodbye, Ginevra," Ron snapped.

"Goodbye, Ronald." Ginny shot back. Then she grinned.

**OoO**

Ginny yawned. She tugged her nightgown tighter around her thin waist, shivering. Of course she forgot about her Astronomy homework that was due the next day, and had to come to the Astronomy tower at nearly midnight to finish it. She kept walking quietly, trying not to yawn too loudly. She quickly hopped up the steps and swung the door open, only to walk into Ron and Hermione, holding hands, looking shocked. They sprung apart.

"Ronald!" Ginny exclaimed, then clapped her hand over her mouth.

"Hey, Ginny," Ron's voice wavered.

"You know the rules! You can't touch her! Or flirt with her! You are not soul mates, don't pretend like you are!" She burst, whispering as fiercely as she possibly could.

"Who cares, Ginny? I like her, and it's not fair that we don't have a choice!"  
>Ginny gaped at her brother. "A choice?! This is why we don't have to choose our partner. You'd choose wrong!"<br>Suddenly Ginny's pendant began thumping against her chest. It burned, and she felt as though it had scalded her. It was vibrating and buzzing. This was strange, Ginny panicked. The only boy moderately around, even awake, was… Ron. His necklace was tucked under his night robes so it wasn't at all visible. She grasped her silver pendant and dared to take a peek at it.

It had turned a luscious, deep gold.


	2. Astronomy

Silver Pendants

Chapter Two

Ginny froze. She took another glance at her silver pendant and one thing was certain: it had turned gold. She ran her fingers over the smooth edge of the necklace. Normally this gave her a sense of calmness, but now, she was just overwhelmed. Could Ron be her soul mate? Is that even possible?

"Ginny?" Hermione asked. "What's wrong?"

"Hermione," Ron said hoarsely. "Let me see your pendant." He had his covered with both of his palms, but his eyes were so wide Ginny could see a rim of white around his irises. He looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack.

Hermione looked as though she was about to demand why, but then she took a look at their horrified faces, and tugged at her necklace.

It was a shiny, perfect silver.

"Merlin," Ron breathed. "Ginny, I…"

"Don't." She snapped. "Just don't." She tucked her pendant under her nightgown so it was no longer visible and made to stalk off. Suddenly, a stack of textbooks in the tower, perched on a ledge, tipped over and crashed to the ground.  
>Relief washed over Hermione's face. "Oh! I nearly forgot! Sorry, Ginny, we have to go now!"<p>

But Ginny was already gone.

**OoO**

The next day, Ginny seriously considered skipping all of her classes. But with a Transfiguration exam coming up, she decided she needed all the distraction she could get. Of course, she was pestered by people about her newly-changed pendant. Even people at dinner, at the end of the day, were surprised. How had they not noticed yet?

"Oh, Ginny!" Hannah Abbott cried out when she spotted it. "Your pendant! You found your soul mate! Oh, how lucky, I wish I could find mine." She touched her pendant, which remained silver.  
>"Who is your soul mate, Ginny? Tell us!" Padma inquired excitedly.<br>"I…I don't really know." Ginny told them honestly.  
>"But doesn't your pendant only change when…you know, you're face-to-face, right in front of each other, and you're looking into each other's eyes, and then you realize it…" Parvati said, confused.<p>

"I honestly have no idea." Ginny said, signalling the end of the discussion.  
>Ginny left the gossiping girls and went to sit at her regular table with Ron, Hermione, and Harry. Hermione was nowhere to be seen.<br>"Hello, lads," Ginny smiled weakly. Ron kept shoveling food into his mouth as if Ginny hadn't appeared, and Harry smiled at her. She noticed a glimpse of gold around his neck, and her heart plummeted. She didn't know why.

"Harry, did you find your partner?" She put on a face and acted extremely ecstatic for him. If anything, this made him look sadder.

"Yeah, I reckon I did. Last night." He spooned soup into his mouth, spilling some carelessly.

Hermione suddenly ran up to them and plopped down on the bench, next to Ginny and across from Ron. She was as white as a sheet.

"What's wrong, Hermione?" Ginny asked, concerned.

"Yeah, you look like you've seen a ghost," Ron said, chortling, as Nearly-Headless Nick drifted past.

Hermione didn't respond, just whipped out her pendant and shook it in front of their faces.

It was gold.  
>Ron looked as though his puppy had been run over by a car. Harry looked happy for her, if not a bit puzzled. And Ginny was truly excited, and a little sad for her brother.<p>

"Oh, Hermione, this is wonderful!" She hugged Hermione.  
>"No, no, it is NOT!" Hermione shouted. Eyes turned to her from all around the Great Hall, and Hermione averted her eyes and lowered her voice.<br>"No, this is horrid. If only you knew who my soul mate was."  
>"Who?" Ron demanded.<br>"Well, I ran into Malfoy on my way here, and my pendant heated up all hot, and it felt as though it was vibrating endlessly, and then I ran straight into Malfoy and I fell to the ground. He helped me up and I think it was because then he knew, he knew it was me. And our necklaces were both gold, and we put them together…and they fit." Hermione ended, flustered.

"So your soul mate is…Draco Malfoy?" Ron said, eerily calm.

"Well…yes," Hermione said hesitantly. Ron shoved his plate away.

"If you'd excuse me, I have someplace to be." He stomped away. Hermione wiped a tear from her cheek.  
>"I'll be back," she murmured, and chased after Ron.<p>

"Looks like it's just you and me." Ginny said to Harry, moving her peas around her plate.

"Yeah." His face brightened. "Hey, Gin, want to go up to the Astronomy tower? You can help me with my homework, if you'd like."

"Okay." Ginny agreed. They left their plates at the table, most of their food uneaten (Ginny hadn't even eaten yet, but who was she to pass up an opportunity with Harry? Although he had found his soul mate, and so had she…she'd better back off before they got in trouble). Harry already had his Astronomy book with him, so they went up to the tower before curfew. The tower was deserted. Harry took a sideways glance at Ginny and smiled at her, which made her look down at her shoes and blush. Her heart hammered in her chest, and she fiddled with her pendant.

"Er, alright, then," Harry said awkwardly, and pulled out some parchment from his bag. "I have to distinguish all these constellations, and I don't know how to, you see…"

"My, my," Ginny grinned at him. "Did the almighty and great Harry Potter not pay attention in Astronomy class?"  
>"I might've fallen asleep," Harry admitted sheepishly.<p>

"Don't fret, it's rather easy. Look here, the Ursa Major is right above us, you can see it."  
>Ginny pointed up into the night sky and traced the constellation with her finger.<p>

"This one is my favourite, see? It's called Orion's Belt. I don't know what I like about it, but it's so pretty." Ginny said softly. She turned to see if Harry was paying attention, and he was staring intently at her.

"What?" Ginny asked him, self-conscious.

He licked his lips. "Er, nothing. Nothing. Just continue."

"Okay, then. This one is called Caelum. See how the stars connect with each other? It's actually incredible. This is why Astronomy is my favourite subject." She turned to face him again, to see if he was taking notes on the parchment, when he kissed her.

Ginny was surprised at first, and she knew this was against the rules, but frankly, she didn't care. His lips were soft, and his mouth warm. She felt her hands wrapping around his neck and tangling into his unruly black hair. He gripped her waist and held her tightly to him. She melted into the kiss, the soft, slow kiss. His mouth moved with hers, perfect harmony. She didn't want it to stop, but when she could breathe no longer, she broke the kiss and sat down, breathing heavily. She glanced up at him, and his emerald eyes were wide and wanting, staring right into her chocolate brown ones.

"Harry…" She whispered.

"Gin, I… I'm so sorry, I don't know what happened. I didn't mean to, I didn't." He said quickly, gathering up his textbooks and hurrying out the door, leaving her sitting on the cold, hard ground.

**A/N: Thanks for such a positive response to this story! I got the idea for it off of Tumblr, and I made it into a Harry Potter fanfic! Glad you like it, this story is going to be full of drama and suspense. Let's play a game… first person to guess Ron's soul mate wins!**


	3. Beetles

Silver Pendants

Chapter Three

Ginny closed her eyes and held tightly to her pendant as though it was a lifeline. Harry Potter had just kissed her. _Really _kissed her. And she had kissed him back. It was like a dream come true, as she had thought of this moment since she was six years old and read about him in a picture book. She had been punished for telling her mum she planned on marrying him. What would her mum do if she knew that they had kissed? And worst of all… she liked it. Ginny lay down in the Astronomy tower and tucked her knees to her chest.

_He kissed me, _she thought blissfully. _I kissed him. _

And she fell asleep, in a world of peaceful dreams and Harry and her pendant, burning a pattern into her flesh as she dreamt.

**oOo**

"Where's Hermione?" Ginny said as she sat with Ron and Harry at breakfast, trying to sound cross but simply couldn't manage it. She averted her eyes from Harry, but he was also trying as hard as he could not to look at her.

"Off with Malfoy, I 'spect," Ron muttered, filling his plate with blueberry pancakes and his ceramic mug with cocoa.

Ginny reached for the toast at the same moment that Harry did, and their hands touched briefly. Ginny snatched her hand back as if scorched by his touch and blushed a furious crimson, while Harry looked into his lap and turned scarlet.

"What's the matter with you?" Ron demanded, suspicious.

"Nothing," They said in unison, then flushed.

"I'm sorry!" Hermione flew in, her robes unbuttoned and flying wide open, jumping next to Ginny.  
>"No problem, 'Mione," Ginny smiled at her. Ron rolled his eyes. Hermione's cheeks were pink, her eyes were wide, her hair mussed, and her face smiling. Moments later Draco entered the hall, his lips smeared with lip gloss, the exact shade that Hermione had sloppily applied.<p>

"Harry, what's on your neck?" Hermione inquired, exasperated and worried at the same time. He tugged on his pendant.

"I dunno, last night my necklace seemed to, I don't know, burn me."

Ginny casually pulled her robes higher up her neck, to cover her own marks.

Hermione shifted her glance from Harry to Ron. Suddenly her eyes widened and her jaw dropped, her mouth forming a perfect O.

"_Ronald!_" She exclaimed. "You found your bloody soul mate, and you didn't tell me?!"

"Bloody?" Harry laughed at her vocabulary, amused.

"Sorry, I thought you would have been too busy fooling around with Draco." Ron said stubbornly.

Hermione's eyes brightened with tears. "It's not like that, and you know it."  
>"Sure seems like it," Ron muttered, shoveling berries into his already full mouth.<p>

"Excuse me." Hermione got up and hurried towards the exit. Draco was following her, concerned, in a matter of seconds.

"Actually, I reckon I'm not hungry," Ron said softly, and proceeded to leave.  
>"Looks like it's just us again," Ginny sighed, swirling her spoon in her cereal.<p>

"I guess we have a talent at chasing people off," Harry said cheekily, smiling at Ginny. Her heart went into overdrive. Just looking at Harry made her feel as though she had a blender in her stomach.

"Harry, I…"

"Listen. About last night. It was irrational, and a stupid move on my part. I could have gotten you arrested, and for that I apologize."

Her heart sank. Of course he regretted it. _Of course he did. _

"But I'm not saying I didn't thoroughly enjoy it." He winked at her.

"Gods, you're adorable." She shook her head.

"I think you are rather adorable as well, if that helps."  
>"Wow, you must really like me to say that I'm at your level, Mr. Chosen One." Ginny teased him.<p>

"I must, then." He cocked his head, looking at her. "Is it bad that all I want to do is kiss you right now?"  
>"Hopefully not, because I feel the same way."<p>

"Maybe we could see each other in the Astronomy tower again tonight?"  
>Ginny shrugged. "I don't know, I might be there at around eleven o'clock tonight."<br>"I might be there."  
>"I might see you there, then."<br>"Later, Gin." He grinned widely, his eyes sparkling, as he left the Hall and went up to his dormitory. Ginny smiled like a fool. She stood up and went to the library, only stopping to brush a pesky beetle off of her shoulder.

**oOo**

Ginny paced the floor of the Astronomy tower. What if Harry didn't show up? What if he… what if…

"Well, hello, Ginevra. Fancy seeing you here," a masculine voice said playfully. Ginny turned around and found Harry leaning casually against a pillar.

"Good, you're here," Ginny said, relieved.

"Been waiting impatiently for me, have you?" He stepped closer.

"But of course." She teased him. He played with a strand of her copper hair and she felt warmth coursing through her veins.

"Gods, Harry," she said softly. "Just snog me already, will you?"

He obliged. His mouth moved with hers, and she tugged his robes from his shoulders. He groaned against her mouth and suddenly pulled her as close as they could. He pulled her robes off and she let her hands explore his chest and he let his tongue explore her mouth. After kissing for a while, they ended up on the floor with Ginny on top of him. Suddenly, a realization hit her like a shot and she sprung off of him.

"Pendants," she breathed heavily. "Now."  
>Harry held out his pendant, which she'd never really seen up close before. She recognized it immediately. The bumpy inner side. The perfectly smooth outer side.<p>

She took out her pendant and held it next to his.  
>They matched.<p>

Ginny stared at Harry. His jaw dropped.

"So…my soul mate isn't Ron?" She breathed.

"What?" Harry asked. "Never mind, I don't want to know."

"I knew it had to be you." She told him honestly. "I knew it, because I knew I wanted to stay with you for the rest of my life."  
>He breathed out a sigh of relief. "Fantastic, because I feel the same way."<br>She put her hands on his cheeks, and he laughed slightly.

"Gods, Gin, your hands are freezing." He blew on them to warm them.

She just wanted to freeze this moment and stare at him forever. How could she be so lucky, to have him as hers? Was this real life?  
>"Pinch me," she giggled. "I can't be this lucky."<p>

"I'm the lucky one here." He kissed her senseless.

"I think I win."

**oOo**

Ginny lay in her bed, her mind bursting with the thoughts of last night. They had proceeded to spend the night together in the Astronomy tower before they returned to their respective dorms. It had been… magical. He was beautiful, really. She knew already that she loved him. She reached for her pendant that always hung heavily around her neck, a comforting weight that made her feel… right. Her delicate yet strong hands grasped nothing but thin air. She bounded up and nearly sprinted to the mirror hanging on the door.  
>Her pendant was gone.<p>

**A/N: YES THIS IS SO CUTE OMG WHAT ILY HARRY & GINNY SO FREAKING MUCH LIKE CAN I MARRY THIS SHIP PLEEEEASE**


	4. Daily Prophet

Silver Pendants

Chapter Four

It was gone. It was gone. Her pendant was gone! Someone must have stolen when she was sleeping. Who would steal her pendant? That's absolute rubbish! A realization hit Ginny: She could get arrested for not wearing her pendant. She was hyperventilating, her hand on her heart. It was beating a thousand miles a minute. Ginny took an ice cold shower to try and relax, then dressed in her Gryffindor robes and headed down for breakfast anxiously.

"Hey, Ginny!" Fred and George stopped her on her way to sit with her friends.

"What is it?" Ginny snapped.

"My, my, our dear sister seems a bit on edge," Fred peered slyly at George, who grinned and rubbed his palms together eagerly.

"Don't do anything," Ginny warned. "I'm so not in the mood."

"We just wanted to ask if you'd be at Quidditch practice later."  
>"Well, of course, I am a Chaser, aren't I?" She rolled her eyes, fishing in her robe pockets for a hair tie. She wrapped it around her wrist and pulled her long hair into a ponytail on the back of her head, twisting the elastic around her ponytail, doing all this in a matter of seconds.<p>

"Fine, fine." In synchronization, they whipped out their pendants to show Ginny the glorious gold hue.

"Oh!" Ginny exclaimed, momentarily distracted. "Who?!"

"Angelina Johnson," George declared proudly at the same time Fred announced, "Katie Bell!"

"Wonderful, guys," Ginny said, and she found she meant it. Of course she did.

"Do you have your mate, baby sis?" Fred mocked her.  
>"Actually, yes," she decided to show them up.<p>

"Oh, really? Who? Neville?" George snorted.

"Harry," she tilted her chin and waited for their reactions.  
>"Harry…."<br>"…..Potter?"

"That's the one," she stifled a giggle at their horrified expressions.  
>"Buh…but…Harry Potter?" Fred seemed temporarily unable to speak.<br>"See you later, lads!" She turned away and laughed.

"What's so funny?" Hermione asked Ginny. She seemed the happiest she'd been in weeks since she found out Draco was her soul mate. Her cheeks were always rosy, as if she was remembering Draco. Her eyes were bright and focused, and her hair was sleek and shiny. Ginny knew this was because she was trying to make an effort for Draco, but Ginny could tell Draco wouldn't care whether her hair was shiny or as frizzy as it was when she was eleven. Ginny sighed and looked at Harry wistfully.

"Nothing. Just talking to Gred and For- I mean, Fred and George."

"Ah." Hermione nodded. They began to eat. Ron shoveled cinnamon oatmeal in to his mouth furiously. He was a wreck.

"Look!" A first-year shouted. The owls were coming and dropping mail onto the long tables. Suddenly the Gryffindors were swarmed with owls. Probably fifty copies of the _Daily Prophet _rained onto her head.

"What's this?" Hermione shouted.

"I don't know!" Harry yelled back. Ginny picked one up and looked at the front cover, onto to be hit with another burst of mail, this time letters in thick white envelopes. Ginny stared at it.

"I can't believe it," Harry mumbled, shocked.

"What is it? What is it?!" Hermione demanded, shaking stamps out of her hair.

"Rita Skeeter," Ginny managed, numb. She reached for her pendant for comfort but remembered it was gone.

"Oh, lord," Hermione groaned. "What did that awful, vile, evil twitch of a woman do this time"- her jaw dropped and her eyes flew to Harry and Ginny.

"What?" Ron mumbled, his mouth full of oatmeal and his fingers twitching nervously. There was a Quidditch game this afternoon, and Ron was terrified. As he reached for one of the abundant copies, a large paper-wrapped package fell and landed squarely into his bowl, splashing him with a wave of sticky oatmeal.

"Urgh!" Ron moaned, disgusted. "I'll be back." He got up to clean himself.  
>"Ron will flip when he sees this, you two are lucky." Hermione whispered. She looked hesitant. "Is it true?"<br>"No! Well, yes. Part of it," Ginny said slowly. She began reading the article.

_**Harry Potter's New (and Illegal) Gal Pal**_

_The legendary, heroic Harry Potter always wants the best of the best, and as we all know, tends to be a rule-breaker. And does he get away with it! His most recent scandal is the most shocking of all. Harry Potter, 16, was found hooking up with Ginevra Weasley, 15. They had recently been caught sharing a passionate kiss in Hogwarts' Astronomy tower, where Potter was allegedly getting help from Weasley with his Astronomy assignments. Who knows what else he's been getting aid with? That's not the brute of it. They were also seen exchanging flirtatious, meaningful words. To quote Potter, "_Is it bad that all I want to do is kiss you right now?" _To which Weasley responded with a mutual response. Then, according to our valuable sources, they proceeded to make love that night, again in their sacred Astronomy tower. The worst part? Potter and Weasley are not even soul mates. Let's see how long Harry Potter can get away with it this time! _

"Oh. My. God." Ginny uttered, speechless.

"So what's true and what's not?" Hermione inquired, her voice hard.

"Well, we did kiss. And we did flirt. And….well, we did…" Harry's voice trailed.

"Did you actually have sex in the Astronomy tower?" Hermione demanded.

"Well…yeah," Ginny answered hesitantly. Hermione's mouth formed a wide 'O', and her eyes flew open.

"Ginny! Harry! How…why…Ron!" She exclaimed, horrified and breathless.

"But it's not that bad. We are soul mates, see?" Ginny added quickly, plunging her hand into her robes to show Hermione how their pendants connected.

"Er, actually, we have somewhere to be, but you'll have to take our word for it." Harry interrupted Ginny frantically, grabbing her hand and dragging her out of the Great Hall. Electricity tingled through her veins where Harry's hand touched her.

"What was that?" Ginny demanded after Harry had pulled her down a deserted hall.

"We don't have our pendants, remember? Or at least I don't."

"Oh, right. I'd forgotten." Ginny felt the dip of her collarbone, where her pendant used to hang. Ginny felt Harry's eyes on her. "What?" She brushed her hands over her face, wondering if she had oatmeal on her chin, when Harry's lips found hers.

She let herself be distracted, be absorbed and delighted by Harry's touch, until she told herself it was enough.

"Harry," she mumbled against his mouth. He made a noise in his throat. Kissing him gave her a forceful longing and desire. She tangled her hands in his unruly black locks as he ran his hands through the thickness of her long, auburn hair.

"Wait," Ginny pulled back, though it took all of her strength to. "Skeeter. _Daily Prophet._"  
>"Right." Harry leaned against the wall, breathing heavily.<p>

"What are we going to do when Ron finds out?" Ginny panted, trying to catch her breath.

"We won't be doing anything, Ron will murder us if he finds out!" Harry laughed slightly, only half-joking.

"Guys!" Ron burst into the hallway, looking amused. He stopped in his tracks and looked slightly confused. "What are you guys doing here?"  
>"Homework," Ginny said immediately, at the same time Harry said, "Quidditch."<p>

"Okay, then." Ron looked suspicious. "Anyway, I found my soul mate! I mean, I found her before, but I didn't know who she was, and now I do!"  
>"Who?" Ginny asked excitedly, glad to steer the subject away from her and Harry.<p>

"Hermione!"  
>"Hermione….Granger?" Harry asked disbelievingly.<p>

"Yeah!"

"Ron, that's great! But I thought her soul mate was Draco?"

"Misunderstanding. We even put our pendants together, and they fit perfectly! We can even show you!"

"It's okay, we believe you, it's just confusing. Oh! Just wondering, have you read a copy of the _Daily Prophet _recently?" Ginny asked casually.

"No, I haven't had the chance, why?"  
>"Just…don't read it. Boring rubbish." Harry reassured Ron quickly.<p>

"Alright, well, I'm going to go see Hermione. See you at Quidditch!" Ron waved.

"How can his soul mate be Hermione?"  
>"She can't be. She's with Draco. This has never happened before!"<p>

Ginny grinned. "I've got piles of homework, I'm going back to my room."

"Can I come?" Harry asked cheekily, smiling slyly at Ginny. She kissed him fiercely.

"No, but I'll see you later."

Ginny went to her room, trying to hide from everyone, since the article was going wide. Once in her dormitory, she pulled out her homework, quill, and parchment, and got to work at her desk.  
>"Ugh, I need more ink." She rummaged through her desk drawers for another ink pot and screamed. And screamed and screamed.<p>

Her pendant was in the drawers. And it was silver. 


	5. Thunderstorms

Silver Pendants

Chapter Five

Silver? It couldn't be silver! She had already found her soul mate… Harry! She slid down the wall and stared at her pendant, frozen. Does this mean Harry isn't her soul mate anymore? Her door burst open and Harry sprinted in, his eyes wide.

"Gin, my pendant is silver," he cried out.

"Mine too," she said quietly. "Mine too."

"What are we going to do?" Harry ran his hands through his hair, panicking. "I love you, Gin. Gods, I love you. I'm just so sorry, I don't want to…What are we going to do?"

_Why is he apologizing? _"Calm down, Harry," Ginny kissed him slowly as he sat next to her. "We'll fix this. It's fine. It's going to be fine."  
>"But what if it isn't?" Harry said desperately. Suddenly he slumped down on the floor and looked defeated. "I can't do this."<br>"We'll fix this, don't give up!" Ginny was worried. He looked as though he had no more spirit in his eyes.

"No, no, I can't do _this,_" Harry whispered. "I can't be with you, Gin, this is too much, and the pendants…just let me find my real soul mate."

"What?" Ginny didn't believe what she was hearing. "You're just shocked, it's okay." She pressed her lips to his and let her mouth move until he pulled away.  
>"Gin, I'm serious, stop, stop!" He stood up. "Please, just don't talk to me, or I won't be able to handle this."<p>

And then he left.

She couldn't stand it anymore. Ginny began to break down and sob.

**oOo**

Ginny wiped her cheeks. There were stains on her cheeks of the rivers of tears that had coursed down her face, over her freckles, the saltiness in her mouth. Ginny brushed her hair back and went to talk to someone. She found who she was looking for in the Gryffindor common room.  
>"Ronald." Her voice was firm.<p>

"Hey, Ginny. Listen, Harry's not here now, the git."  
>"How come all of a sudden you and Hermione are mates? If she was with Draco, she can't be with you too…. It's impossible!" Ginny cocked her head, thinking. "Unless Draco's your soul mate." The realization hit her. "You're not <em>gay, <em>are you?! I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, Seamus is and everything, but I was just…are you? Answer me, you prat!"

"What?! No, I'm not gay, and Draco's not my soul mate. Wait, Seamus is…?"

Ginny grabbed a pillow and swatted him. "Gods! Listen to me! Why are you and Hermione soul mates all of a sudden?"

He looked uncomfortable. "I don't know. It just happened. And why do you care?"

"Because…" her voice choked. "Because Harry and I were soul mates, and then our pendants were gone, and now they're silver, and he broke up with me! All because of this stupid, stupid pendant!" Ginny ripped off her pendant and threw it viciously on the ground.

"I hate this! I hate this! I hate it!"

"Ginny, calm down." Ron looked surprised, and a little startled. "Harry broke up with you?"  
>Ginny sniffled. <em>Don't cry. Don't cry. <em>"Y…yes."

"Bloody hell! That…that…." Ron let out a phrase of colourful cuss words. "I'm going to kill him myself, I'm going to murder than damn bloody prat, how could he?"  
>"He broke up with me because of our pendants." Ginny began to cry, even though she was telling herself determinedly not to.<p>

Ron blanched, and then turned slightly green. "W-what?"  
>"Our pendants were gold, you know, 'cause we were soul mates, and then they went missing and then they changed back to silver and they don't fit anymore!" Ginny positively wailed. She felt as though her heart had been replaced with a sphere of lead, cold and hard.<p>

"Oh…well, I've got to go… Bye, Ginny."

Ron was out of there faster than Ginny could reply. Ginny wiped her tears and reached for her pendant, looking to run her fingers over the smooth edge that gave her comfort. She couldn't find it. Taking a closer look at her pendant, Ginny realized it didn't match the shape of her original pendant. In fact, this one had an intricate inner edge and a rocky, sharp outer edge. Ginny looked closer, and noticed that where she had smashed her pendant on the ground, there were spots of gold. Ginny intently rubbed the pendant with her thumb. Her suspicions were confirmed – there was silver paint on her thumb, sparkly and lovely. Ginny's heart dropped. This was not her pendant…which meant her and Harry could still be soul mates! But whose pendant was this, and where was hers?

**oOo**

"Harry!" Ginny shouted, rushing to catch up with him. She was panting. As soon as her Defence Against the Dark Arts class had finished, she had looked around for Harry desperately, finding him outside, under some trees, by the lake.  
>"Ginny?" Harry turned around, looking frightened.<p>

"Listen, I know you don't want me around, and I know you told me not to talk to you, but I _can't, _Harry, I just can't. I need you. You make me laugh and listen to me and I think I've known for a while how much you support me and I need that support, I need your strength, I'm not as strong as you and I can't do all this by myself, and I….I miss you."

Suddenly Harry's hands were on her hips and her arms were around his neck and they were kissing, Ginny didn't know how but it was happening and it was over much too soon.  
>"You're much stronger than I am," Harry whispered in her ear, his breath tickling her neck.<p>

"No, I'm not."  
>"I need to be strong, with all this Chosen One rubbish, but you… you just <em>are. <em>You don't need to try to be strong, or confident, or beautiful, Gin. You're just…ugh, I want you so bad, I need you to be my soul mate." As he said that, he pulled away from her and laid on the ground on his back, looking up at the sky, which was growing stormier by the minute.

"We are!" Ginny shouted over the powerful wind. She didn't know how she looked, but she knew that Harry looked…she couldn't describe it. His eyes were bright and fierce; his already ruffled, charcoal-black hair blowing in the wind. She could feel her copper hair flying down her back, blowing back with the wind, cool on her cheeks.

"Ginny, our pendants are silver. It's like we never happened. A fresh start." Harry spoke with resent. Ginny knew when he said 'we', he meant their relationship. A clean slate. _Tabula Rasa. _

"Listen to me, you git!" Ginny pulled her pendant out of the pocket of her robes, showed him the section she had ferociously rubbed off with her thumb. "They're not ours. They were painted silver and switched with ours, don't you see?"

Ginny felt wetness on her face and couldn't tell whether it was raining or she was crying.

It was rain, making Harry's hair stick to his forehead and his shirt stick to his muscular chest. "So we are soul mates?"  
>"Do you feel it?" Ginny placed her hand over Harry's heart, she could feel his heart pounding through his thin shirt.<p>

"Gods, Gin, I think I've felt it all along."  
>And they shared a passionate, fairy-tale kiss in the rain. Little did they know, they were being watched angrily by a furious Slytherin.<p> 


	6. Smoke

Silver Pendants

Chapter Six

"You can't do this." He said desperately, grabbing her wrists. She whipped around.  
>"Why not? You've seen the evidence." She showed him her pendant, to which he shook his head, exasperated.<br>"It's fake. It has to be."  
>"Why are you so hung up over this?" He ran his fingers through his hair nervously, which was a habit of his.<br>"Because…I don't want to lose you, okay?"

"Really?" She looked shocked, but happy. Extremely happy.  
>"Really. I…I didn't think I'd ever say that, but it's true."<p>

"Then how come my pendant matches Ron's?"  
>Draco sighed. "It doesn't make sense. Our pendants matched perfectly, with the inner side like a puzzle piece, and the corners on the outside…" He traced her necklace with his finger, knowing that it was different than it was before, when it looked like his.<br>She sighed and leaned into him. He pulled her closer and wrapped one arm around her, his other hand playing with her pendant.

"Listen, I wish I could stay, but I've got to go."  
>"Ron?"<br>She looked guilty. "Ron."

He sighed. But he let her go. He let her leave him.

**oOo**

"Do you think Draco stole them?" Ginny asked Harry on the way to classes.  
>"No. He wants Hermione back more than ever, you can see."<p>

"Think. Who would want to change their soul mate?" Ginny used to think the system of being given your soul mate was the perfect, ideal solution. Now she wasn't so sure.

"Don't kill me, but I think it was Ron."  
>"Ron?!" Ginny was appalled. "Why?"<p>

"Because he didn't know who his mate was, and his enemy had Hermione."  
>"How would he change his soul mate? Harry, this is too hard." Ginny shook her head.<p>

"I don't know yet. But we can find out, right?"  
>"I hope so."<p>

**oOo**

Hermione felt slightly nervous, but she knew this had to be done. She was sitting on Ron's lap, in a large armchair by the fire in the common room. It was Friday night and she didn't want to spoil his euphoria about no homework this weekend, But it was time.

Hermione faced Ron fiercely.

"Where is my pendant?"  
>"Around your neck, I'd hope." Ron played with her brown curls. She pulled away slightly, just enough to make him confused. "What's wrong, 'Mione?"<p>

"Answer me: Where is my pendant?"  
>He reached around her neck and dangled it in front of her eyes. "Right here."<p>

"Ron, you of all people know what I'm talking about. Where is my pendant…my real one?"

Ron looked uncomfortable. His ears turned scarlet, and his freckles looked prominent as he ran his hand through his fiery locks nervously, something Draco did often. Hermione didn't find it nearly as attractive as when Draco did it.

"Iswitchedemwithginnyandharry." Ron mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Hermione's voice was as hard as rock and as cold as ice.

"I stole Harry and Ginny's pendants. That's Ginny's, actually," Ron pulled at the necklace around Hermione's neck. "And I have Harry's. Then I painted yours and mine silver and I gave those back to Harry and Ginny."

"Why did you do this?" Her voice was barely audible.

"Because I wanted you, of course. And I thought you wanted me." He sounded hurt, which shocked Hermione. He did _this, _and he's hurt? How dare he!  
>"I used to, maybe. But then I found Draco. My actual soul mate, in case you'd forgotten. He's everything I've ever wanted, kind and sweet and caring and funny and intelligent. You can't change love, Ron, and you have love of your own. Just wait. Don't go after something you know you can't have, you'll only disappoint yourself." Hermione wasn't finished, though he was leaning as far back as he could. "And did you even consider the other people you were hurting? Harry and Ginny were – <em>are <em>– in love, and you took that away from them! You took Draco away from me! How could you?! You're just never satisfied, are you?!" Hermione ripped off Ginny's pendant and chucked it at Ron as hard as she could manage. Then she grabbed a golden throw pillow and smacked him in the chest repeatedly.

"You – are – sick! Horrible! A prat! YOU. MAKE. ME. SICK!" Hermione didn't know she was crying until she tasted the salty tears in her mouth.  
>Ron reached up. "Mione, calm down."<br>"DON'T TOUCH ME!" She shrieked. "I HATE YOU! I HATE YOU!"

Ron looked frightened out of his wit. Suddenly the door swung open and Draco entered, looking wild with concern.  
>"Hermione!" He shouted. "What's wrong?"<br>"It's HIM!" She shrieked. "HE switched OUR pendants! HE took them!"  
>Draco looked at Ron with a look of absolute disgust, ferocity, and hate. He wrapped Hermione in his arms and rocked back and forth.<br>"Shh…Shh…It's okay, it's okay." Hermione shuddered with tears. She looked up at Draco with morose eyes that made Draco's heart break for her.  
>"He took our love away," she whispered. "How could he do this?"<p>

"I don't know," he whispered back. "I don't know."

**oOo**

"Ginny, Harry, I have your pendants." Ron said quietly, looking ashamed. He held out the matching gold necklaces. Ginny grabbed hers quickly, as though this was a joke. Harry took his, looking intently at Ron.

"I'm sorry." He left the room like a dog with its tail between its legs.

As soon as he left, Ginny whipped around to face Harry. "Let me hex him!"  
>"No."<p>

"Come on, Harry, he deserves it!"  
>"I know."<br>She grabbed his hands pleadingly. "Just one Bat-Bogey Hex?"  
>"Gin…."<br>"Fine." She placed her pendant in his hands and turned around.  
>"Wait, what are you doing? Don't leave, you can hex him all you want!" Harry said.<p>

"No, you prat, I just wanted you to put it on me."

"Oh. Okay." He gently pushed her long russet locks aside and placed the golden pendant over her chest. His fingers tickled the back of her neck as he clasped the necklace.

"Can I kiss you now?" Harry whispered in her ear.  
>"Gods, yes," Ginny murmured. "You owe me a kiss or two. Pay up, Potter."<p>

He obliged willingly, their kiss a mix of love and longing.

**oOo**

Ron and Hermione were not on speaking terms, which was not a mutual decision. Ron wanted desperately to talk to Hermione, but she wouldn't hear of it. Hermione and Draco were closer than ever, which made Ron furious and depressed. Actually depressed. Ginny had heard him talking to himself about suicide, which frightened her awfully. But he seemed happier when he discovered who his soul mate actually was.

"Harry, mate, I found my soul mate!" Ron declared.  
>"So did I, lads," Seamus agreed. "Dean!"<p>

"DEAN?!" Everyone exclaimed at the same time.  
>"He's…" Ginny said, speechless. "Oh, I <em>dated <em>him!"

"Anyway," Ron said loudly. "My soul mate is Luna!"  
>"Luna?" Harry asked. "Oh, man, I wasn't suspecting that!"<p>

"Yeah, it was a little weird at first, but I think she's growing on me."  
>Harry kissed Ginny on the cheek. "I've got to go now. I'll see you later?"<br>"Of course. Where are you going, dear soul mate of mine?" Ginny teased him.

"Er, nowhere. Bye." Harry kissed her again, not looking her in the eyes, and left quickly, leaving Ginny stunned.

"What was that all about?"

"I don't know." Hermione shrugged, leaning against Draco. He kept sneaking glances at her, as if he couldn't believe he was so lucky.

"Y'think I should be worried?" Ginny asked worriedly.

"No, you practically can't be worried. He's yours." Hermione laughed. "Then again, if Draco left me suddenly without telling me what's wrong, I would be worried too."

"Is that what happened?" Ginny's voice raised an octave.

"No! No, of course not." Hermione reassured Ginny.

_Of course I shouldn't be worried, it's Harry. _Ginny thought comfortingly.

Suddenly Ginny couldn't breathe. Smoke was rising into her face and she coughed, smoke infiltrating her lungs.  
>"Fire!" Ginny managed, coughing.<p>

"No, there's no fire," Hermione said, terrified.

The smoke cleared. Ginny waved her hands in front of her face. "What was that?"  
>All of the eyes in the Gryffindor common room were on her. Horrified looks were directed at her.<p>

"What is it?" Ginny said, panicking. "_Someone tell me what's wrong!"_

Hermione pointed at her pendant, which was still smoking slightly.

It had turned black.

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffhanger, guys! I'm almost as bad as Uncle Rick, haha ;) Winner of the Ron's-soul-mate-contest is laurie5427! And a BIG thanks to CopperCow for all of her amazingly kind reviews! THANK YOU & REVIEW! 3**


	7. Rings

Silver Pendants

Chapter Seven

**A/N: Thanks again to CopperCow! She always reviews such kind things and even helps me with plot ideas! SO THANK YOU!**

"What's happening?" Ginny hyperventilated. "Why is it black? Why was it smoking? What's wrong with it? Is something wrong with Harry? _Hermione, answer me!" _

Hermione was as pale as a sheet. "I-I don't know what it means. I've never r-read about this!" Ginny grabbed her pendant. Her hands were shaking. When she moved her hands away, there was ash on her fingers.

"Oh, gods," Ginny whispered. "Harry, where are you?"

"I-I'm going to the library," Hermione stuttered, scurrying out of the room.

"We need to find Harry. Ron, do you know where Harry went?"  
>"No idea," Her brother said, going pale, with his freckles and hair looking brighter than ever.<p>

"I'm not so sure I trust you anymore." Ginny said fiercely.

"Bloody hell, Ginny." Ron turned his back on his little sister.

"I don't care!" Ginny said loudly and very high-pitched. "I need to find Harry!"  
>"I think..." Draco said slowly. "I think Ron's lying."<br>"WHY?" Ginny shouted.

"Because I heard Harry talking to Ron earlier!"  
>Ginny whipped around, her hands on her hips.<br>"Merlin, you look like Mum." Ron said. "Scary."

"Where. Is. Harry." Ginny over-exaggerated her words.

"Er, well, he did mention earlier something about going to buy something in Hogsmeade…"

"What is he buying? What shop?" Ginny demanded.

"I wasn't supposed to say anything…"  
>"I'm pretty sure that rule doesn't come into play anymore, now <em>tell me!"<em>

"He was looking at rings, Gin! Is that good enough for you?!"

"Rings?" Ginny uttered, stunned.

"Yes, rings! I don't even like thinking about why, but he is!"  
>"I found it!" Hermione yelled. "According to this book about the pendant system, <em>'the pendants only change colours in large situations. They commence as silver, and only turn gold when you have found your soul mate. When your soul mate has died, they fade to a light, dull dove grey, and it is only then when you are able to go without your pendant. The last change is black. The pendants turn black and sooty when your soul mate…" <em>Hermione's voice trailed off.

"When your soul mate what?" Ginny said sharply, her heart sinking. Black doesn't necessarily portray the w_hen your soul mate buys you an engagement ring _happiness.

Hermione began again. _"'The pendants turn black and sooty when your soul mate is in a life-or-death situation." _

"Gods! Merlin, oh gods, I need to save him!" Ginny couldn't breathe. What if Harry died? Tears were streaming down her face silently. She was having trouble breathing and even thinking about her life without Harry.

Draco came over to Ginny and hugged her hesitantly. "It's okay. Breathe deeply, with me. Here. In….out. Better?"  
>"Thank you. Thank you, thank you." Ginny leaned into the Slytherin for support. She knew she wasn't supposed to touch him, to touch someone who wasn't her soul mate or her family, but frankly, she just didn't care anymore.<p>

"I'm coming with you."  
>"Gods, thank you so much." Ginny extracted herself from his comforting embrace and pulled out her wand. "Hurry up, let's go."<p>

"Okay." He kissed Hermione on the cheek. "See you later."  
>"Be careful!" Ginny could hear Hermione telling Draco protectively. He laughed.<br>"Anything for you, love."

**oOo**

As they were on their way to Hogsmeade, Ginny turned to Draco. He had his blonde head down, staring at his shoes. His hands were in his coat pockets, and he was shuffling along. He was attractive, Ginny thought. But not her type. Her type was boys with dark messy hair, the most stunning eyes, and a dorky crooked smile. Oh, and boys named Harry Potter.

"Why did you come?"

"I wanted to."  
>"But I thought you hated me, and Harry."<br>"I don't hate you."

"But you did."  
>"Yeah, I did."<br>Ginny was frustrated. "So why are you coming, then?"

"Because you guys are my soul mate's best friends. Potter's getting you a ring, for Merlin's sake! He can't die now. You need him, and 'Mione needs him. And I don't actually _want _him to die, either."  
>"Malfoy, you softy!" Ginny teased him.<p>

He looked down sheepishly. "Budge over, will you? You're taking up the whole path."  
>"You're actually rather nice, Malfoy. And to think, I thought Hermione was mental!"<p>

"Now you're sounding like Weasley."  
>"I am a Weasley, in case you'd forgotten."<br>"By the sounds of it, Potter doesn't want you to be for much longer." He cast a sideways glance at her. She blushed.  
>"What about Hermione becoming a Malfoy?"<br>He turned crimson as well. "Hopefully not for a couple of years, at least."

"I think it's going to end up being when Hermione wants it, don't you think?"  
>"Probably." He looked at her slyly again. "Although it's not like we're sleeping together in the Astronomy tower."<br>Ginny turned so red her face matched her hair. "Oh, Gods, you read that?!"  
>"Everybody did."<br>She buried her face in her hands. "Bloody hell!"  
>"Stop talking like that redhead scum." Malfoy's voice was hard.<p>

"What's the matter? Oh, right, the pendants." Her hand went to hers absentmindedly, and her hand came away covered in black powdery substance. "Oh, Harry! I'd nearly forgotten!" She rubbed her hand on her robes and grabbed Malfoy's pale hand. "Come on, hurry!"

In a matter of minutes, they were outside Rolf's Jewellers in Hogsmeade. Rolf was a wizard, and he and his wife had started the jewellers a while ago, when the pendant system commenced. Many students got their soul mates jewellery there.

"There's blood, on the ground." Draco touched the stone carefully. His hand came away with a red-brown liquid imprinted on his fingertips. "Yup. Blood."  
>Ginny felt like her gut was twisting. "What if it's…" She couldn't say it.<p>

Draco opened the door. "Shall we?"

"I suppose so." He held the door for her like a gentleman, and he followed her inside.  
>Inside the store was pristine. Nothing looked disturbed.<br>"Oh, look!" Ginny cried.  
>"Shut up!" Malfoy whispered fiercely.<p>

"Sorry." Ginny ran up to the counter. "But look…I bet you anything this was the ring Harry was looking at! Oh, Draco, it's gorgeous!"  
>Ginny loved it. It was simple and stunning. The ring itself was made out of a white gold. There was a diamond in the center of the ring, and smaller diamonds twined around the band, like vines. Elegant, and perfect.<p>

"It _is _quite nice, actually." Malfoy admitted grudgingly. Ginny looked at him, stunned. He put his hands up in mock surrender. "What? I'm a Malfoy. I know how to appreciate nice things."

"Whatever." She looked around, noticing a door in the back of the shop. "Do you think he's back here?"  
>"I reckon he must be." Draco drew his wand, holding it in front of him in a defensive stance. Ginny copied him. <em>Please don't let Harry be dead. Please don't let Harry be dead.<br>_Malfoy attempted to open the door. He looked at Ginny reluctantly.

"It's locked," he told her hesitantly.

"Locked?!" Ginny cried, putting her head in her hands. "Gods, I should have known!" Her lovely red hair masked the gathering of tears in her eyes.

"I'm pretty sure we can unlock it, considering we're wizards." Draco reminded her.

"Oh. Oh, right." Ginny shook her head back and reassumed her position.

Draco muttered a spell under his breath and the door swung open.

Ginny surveyed the scene, horrified. Rolf and his wife, Reyna, were (she assumed) dead on the floor, their blood seeping out around them in puddles. She shuddered. There were Death Eaters in the small back room, or at least they looked like Death Eaters, covered in long black cloaks and capes with black masks covering their visages. And Harry. She felt incredibly relieved seeing him alive. He was sitting in a chair, bound with thick ropes and assumedly plenty of spells. He had something shoved in his mouth, with a strip of dark fabric tied around it. His glasses were crooked something awful, and there was a deep cut on his forehead. His eyelids were fluttering, as though he was on the verge of going unconscious. His wand lay strewn across the floor on the other side of the room. Ginny felt like breaking down at the sight of this, but she knew she had to stay strong and fight for her soul mate's precious life. And he simply _couldn't _die now – he was about to propose! Her wand was brandished, as was Draco's, and they were both ready to fight the three or four Death Eaters, when one of the Death Eater's drew his hood back, removed his mask, and revealed his face. Ginny recognized him faintly, but she couldn't make a connection. He looked oddly familiar, as though she had just seen him not too long ago. She turned to ask Draco who he was, when Draco's jaw dropped and his eyes flew open. He managed to turn a few shades paler than he already was, if that was even possible. Draco opened his mouth to speak.

"Father?"

**A/N: Man, I love Draco in this so much! Don't hate me, but I love Draco. I think he totally changed after the war, and I don't think he would have chosen to act the way he did, it was the way he was raised and he was under Voldemort's control. **

**And one thing - if all my lovely readers could review your favourite things about my story, that would be amazing! It would help me write more that you'd like to see! Thank you everyone! xoxo**


	8. Mortalius Finis

Silver Pendants

Chapter Eight

Ginny whipped around to face Draco. "That's your _father_?!"

She could see it, though, even before it was confirmed. They had the same long, pale face with pointy chins; the same thick blonde hair; same trademark smirk plastered across their faces.

"Yes, it is. Father, what are you doing here?" Draco demanded, his wand pointed directly at his father's chest, as if daring him to make a move.

"What do you think I'm doing here, Draco?" Lucius snarled, drawing his wand slowly and dramatically.

"Now," Draco whispered to Ginny under his breath.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Ginny shouted, casting the curse at one of the Death Eaters. "_Stupefy!_"

Draco yelled spells and muttered other curses beneath his breath as he dueled with his father. Ginny fought hard. It was difficult, dueling two people at the same time. She managed to knock one unconscious before she was thrown to the ground.

"Draco, it's time," Lucius growled. "Do it just like we planned. Come on, now."  
>Draco looked uncertain. "Father, are you"-<p>

"Yes, Draco. Now." His father said, seething, looking positively vile.

Draco lowered his wand and cast an apologetic glance at Ginny, who was coughing on the floor with the second Death Eater hovering over her.

Ginny was brought nearly to tears. She hated crying, but lately she'd been doing a lot of it.  
>"I should have known," Ginny muttered viciously at Draco. He looked uncomfortable.<p>

"Known what?" Draco demanded, shifting his wand from Lucius to Ginny. Lucius grinned wickedly.

"That you would betray us. I thought you'd changed, Draco, but who I am kidding? You're still the bloodthirsty, evil, sick little cockroach that you were before." Ginny laughed coldly. "I thought that since you had found Hermione a couple of months ago, you'd changed. Changed to be a better person. I suppose I was mistaken."  
>She could have sworn he lowered his wand half an inch.<p>

She shook her head. "Hermione doesn't deserve you."  
>Ginny could see something change in his eyes.<br>"Of course the Mudblood doesn't deserve Draco," Lucius snapped, his black eyes surveying the scene. "She's filthy and shouldn't even be allowed near Purebloods." He snorted. "They could contaminate us." He stared at Ginny, as if willing her to disagree and argue. Ginny said nothing. She just looked down. Her face contorted with disgust at their behaviour and her hands felt wet. Ginny looked at them. They were smeared with dark red, the blood of Rolf and Reyna seeping around the cold, shiny floor. The red was beautiful, in a way. Beautiful and sickening.

"My father is right," Draco declared, winning himself a smile of approval from Lucius. "In fact, I'm planning on going to the Ministry to demand a Change of Soul Mate."

Ginny laughed disbelievingly. If you were unhappy after a long period of time with the person who was assigned as your Soul Mate, you could request a Change of Soul Mate. It happened so rarely nowadays, Ginny didn't even know if it was real or a myth.

"Does your father know how close you and Hermione have been getting?" Ginny demanded, shifting on the floor slightly. The Death Eater above her shoved his wand into her temple.

"Relax, I'm not doing anything stupid or mental. I'm just saying, have you told him about… oh, I suppose not." Ginny giggled, casting a glance at Lucius. His face was turned multiple shades of red.

"What is she talking about, Draco?" Lucius glared at his only son.  
>"Nothing, Father. The blood traitor is making things up." He sounded believable, but his cheeks were rosy pink with embarrassment.<p>

Suddenly there was a loud bang and a crash. Ginny ducked and rolled, jumping up and holding her wand out protectively, her eyes wide with a slight look of madness. She saw a flash of red and brown, and the next thing she knew, the Death Eater joined his friend on the ground and Draco and Lucius were bound with Hermione and Ron at their throats.  
>"Get Harry!" Hermione breathed heavily. She stared at Ginny. "<em>Go!<em>"

Ginny rushed over to Harry, stepping over the bodies of Rolf and Reyna. Her hands were shaking so badly, it took her multiple tries to even untie the knots of the ropes binding his ankles. His head lolled, which made Ginny's heart skip a beat or two.

"Come on, Harry," she whispered to him, working on the thick ropes around his wrists. The ropes cut deep dents into her palms. She blocked out Hermione and Ron screaming at the Malfoys; cursing them with spells. Ginny was surprised to see how heartless Hermione was being with Draco, he looked utterly shocked at her mercilessness.

Ginny managed to undo the spells and the ropes as well. Harry was limp, and he flopped in her arms.

"No, no, no. Harry, wake up. Harry!" She glared at Lucius, wishing with all of her might he would die right then and there. He didn't. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HIM?!"

"I wish I could tell you," Draco's father replied, dripping sarcasm and rolling his eyes. Seriously. A Death Eater rolled his eyes. Real mature.

"Father, please," Draco whispered fiercely. "This is ridiculous."  
>"I'll tell you what's ridiculous, you slimy git," Ron snarled, with his wand against Lucius' throat threateningly. "What's ridiculous is the fact that you're actually going to do this!" He laughed menacingly. Ginny was honestly surprised. She had never seen her brother act this cold before. And the thing with the pendants? What was up with him?<br>Ron turned to Draco, who actually looked slightly nervous. "And I thought you were going to treat Hermione well. I 'spose I was wrong." He tilted his head to the side. "I am most of the time…but still, I thought you were okay!"

"I am treating Hermione well!" Draco burst. Lucius growled at him.  
>"Now, now, Draco…" He snarled wickedly.<p>

"Come ON, Harry, wake up!" Ginny shouted. He stayed limp in her arms. His glasses were falling off of his face, she used untying his gag. After she removed the dark strip of fabric around his mouth, she managed to remove what was in his mouth, keeping him from speaking.

"Oh, _yuck,_" Ginny shuddered as she pulled out a large, muddy stone. His mouth was smeared with the dark brown, slimy mud, and one of his teeth on his lower jaw looked chipped.

"Oh, yes, Draco," Hermione drawled loudly, sarcastically, and obviously furiously. "You have been treating me, your soul mate, simply wonderfully. That includes agreeing to the fact that I'm _filthy _and could even _contaminate _you, that includes"-

"My father said that!" Draco defended himself weakly.

"Yes, but you agreed with him! And it also includes threatening to demand for a Change of Soul Mate, because of my blood status! What kind of soul mate are you?! Not to mention trying to capture my best friend for who knows what reason!" Hermione sounded slightly mad, slightly bonkers, slightly off of her rocker. Draco looked as though he was seeing Hermione for the first time.

"You heard all that?" Draco whispered, running a hand through the thickness of his blonde hair. Hermione nodded vigorously.  
>"Yes, I did, actually, and I am NOT impressed!"<p>

"Ron," Draco said slowly, making the final decision and avoiding his father's glance. "Do it. Do it now."

"Draco, what are you doing?" Lucius demanded, trying to escape from Ron's wand at his throat. Hermione stepped back, utterly confused. Ron took a second to remember this moment, as Hermione being utterly clueless rarely happened and gave him complete satisfaction.

"You sure?" Ron asked. Now that reality hit him, and he was actually supposed to do it, it was hard to bring himself to.

"Positive. I'm done. I'm a better person, and I'm going to be a better man, for Hermione and our future family." Draco seemed cleansed now, after hearing what Hermione had to say.

"Well, okay then." Ron took a deep breath, removing his wand from the elder Malfoy's throat. Lucius brushed off his robes.

"You children have left me no choice." He pulled his wand out of his robes and pretended to be examining it.

"NOW!" Draco shouted at Ron. Lucius directed his wand at his only son.

"_Mortalius finis!" _Lucius said in a deadly calm.  
>"<em>Avada Kedavra!" <em>Ron bellowed. As if in slow motion, the two Malfoys both collapsed to the ground. Lucius was dead, Ginny could guarantee it. But Draco?  
>"What spell was that?" Hermione demanded, high-pitched. "Have you ever heard of it? I've never heard of that spell! What is it? What does it mean? Oh, is he dead?" Hermione was a paler white than Lucius' dead pallor.<p>

Harry's eyelashes fluttered. "Gin?"  
>Ginny breathed an enormous sigh of relief. "Oh gods, Harry, you're awake! I love you, gods, I love you so much. Are you okay?" her finger to slide them back up his nose. Ginny focused on<p>

"Yeah, I'm okay. Are you okay? Merlin, Gin, what happened to you?" He touched her arm carefully and weakly. She hadn't even registered that there was a deep cut there.

She laughed shallowly. "You nearly died, and you're asking me about a scratch on my arm?"  
>"Gin, that's no scratch, but I love you too."<p>

"I don't know what spell he was hit by!" Hermione shrieked, panicking. Ginny would normally have been concerned for Draco, but she was too absorbed with Harry. He was hers, and she was his, and they had always been and would always be. Ron was lingering in the corner of the room, shifting from foot to foot rather awkwardly. He was watching as Hermione cradled Draco's limp head in her arms. Suddenly the room was silent, and it seemed cold.

"My pendant," Hermione spoke, her voice strangely hollow. "My pendant is black. I'm not going to be able to save him."

**A/N: Sorry this chapter is a little late, guys, but I had a massive amount of homework these past few days. And to all the Canadians, happy belated Thanksgiving! So Lucius makes me want to claw my own eyes out, honestly! AND MY OTPS MAKE ME WANNA CRY AHHHH OMG! REVIEW, MY LOVELY WONDERFUL FANTASTIC POTTERHEADS, REVIEW**


	9. Fountains

Silver Pendants

Chapter Nine

**A/N: Sorry, this chapter is a lot longer than most of my other chapters, but it's worth it, I promise! I LOVE YOU GUYS THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR 5K VIEWS!**

"You're back again?" Madam Pomfrey smiled weakly at Ginny. She nodded, feeling slightly guilty. She had visited Harry every day since the accident, which was twelve days. He had been in the infirmary for nearly two weeks, but with no avail. He had fallen into a coma after four days. She felt torn between ecstasy and sadness. On the one hand, he was alive. That was all she had hoped for, right? For Harry to be alive. But on the other hand, he had been in a coma for eight days. Who wants a comatose boyfriend? She supposed it was worse for Hermione. The spell Draco was cursed with had not yet been discovered. He had been lying in the hospital room for twelve days as well, in the bed right next to Harry, with in a comatose state with dangerously shallow breathing and a slow heart rate.  
>Ginny sat on the edge of Harry's bed, like she always did. She held his cold hand, like she always did. She laid her head on his chest, like she always did. She could hear his heart beating. It was like a clock, telling her he was still there for her. It was strangely comforting.<p>

"Hi, Harry," She whispered. She knew he could hear her, she just knew it. "Please wake up. I miss you, and I love you, and I want you to be okay." She proceeded to spend half of an hour telling him about everyday events: Gryffindor beat Ravenclaw in the latest Quidditch game; Snape gave her an A on her Potions assignment, they served her favourite dishes for dinner last night. He barely even stirred.

"Ginny?"

She turned around. Hermione was in the doorway of the infirmary, staring at Draco helplessly.

"He's going to die, isn't he?" Hermione whispered, gesturing at Draco.  
>"Oh, Hermione," Ginny murmured. "Of course he won't. He's getting better every day."<p>

Tears slipped down Hermione's cheeks silently. Ginny hugged her best friend.

"I'm scared about Harry, too," Ginny admitted. "But it will be okay, it…" she gulped. "It has to be."

Hermione shook her head, obviously giving up. "But what if it isn't?"

**oOo**

Ginny sighed, her quill scratching along the surface of her parchment. Professor Binns was droning on and on. She could have sworn Luna had fallen asleep in her chair, her necklace of corks around her neck laying sprawled on her desk. Ginny hid a smile. Maybe Luna was a perfect soul mate for Ron. And the boy next to her, Collin, was drooling on his parchment. She giggled softly. There was then a knock on the door of the classroom. Everyone jumped, startled. The door swung open, revealing a young third-year named Melanie Cotts. Ginny knew her because she'd tried out for the Gryffindor Quidditch team two years in a row.

"Ginevra Weasley?" Melanie said, barely audible. She cleared her throat. "Er, is Ginny Weasley here?"  
>"Right here, Mel," Ginny gathered her books quickly and slung her bag over her shoulder, extremely grateful to be able to leave History of Magic early. Professor Binns didn't even notice her departure.<p>

"What's wrong, Melanie?" Ginny asked as soon as they were out of the classroom and down the corridor.

"It's Harry." Melanie brushed her chin-length blonde curls behind her ear. "He's awake, and has been demanding to see you for the past half hour."

"He's awake?" Ginny exclaimed, stunned.  
>"Yes. He even threatened to go find you himself. I was helping out in the infirmary during my free period, so Madam Pomfrey sent me to get you. Ginny? Ginny, wait up!"<br>Ginny was sprinting down the corridors. Melanie was running after her.

Ginny shoved the door of the infirmary open. Harry was sitting up in bed, looking thoroughly exasperated.  
>"Madam Pomfrey, I'm fine. No, I don't need any of that, and I'm not staying overnight! I don't need anything!"<br>"Not even me?" Ginny asked him. His head snapped up and a grin grew upon his face.

"Hey, Gin!"

She walked over and sat on the edge of his bed, like she had done so many times before when he was unconscious.

"I missed you," Ginny told him, holding his hand. It wasn't so cold now.

"I missed you too. I mean, I was in a coma and everything, but I still wished you were with me." He grinned crookedly.

"So you wished I was in a coma too?" Ginny said, teasingly.

"Exactly." He joked, tugging on a strand of her long russet locks. He was too sweet.

"I need to ask you something. Well, two somethings, I guess." Ginny blurted out.

"Okay, shoot." Harry told her. She wrinkled her brow.

"Shoot?"  
>"Not like with a gun, or basketball or anything. It's a Muggle expression."<br>She widened her eyes. "What's a gun? And you have a basket that's also a ball?"  
>He laughed at her. "Just ask me the questions."<br>"Okay, well, first…do you know why they wanted you? What were you doing in Hogsmeade?"

He blushed rosy pink. "Er, well, you see…I was looking at rings, for….you know…"  
>She raised an eyebrow, a trick that Charlie had taught her. "Ah."<br>He ran a hand through his already messy black hair, flustered, mussing it up even more. Ginny couldn't help smiling.

He cleared his throat. "Anyway, I was at Rolf's, and then the room went black, and I dropped the ring I was looking at on the counter-"

_I knew it!  
><em>"And then hands grabbed me and I couldn't reach my wand, and then they took my wand from me and I was gagged and tied up and then they hit me with something on the head, and that's all I remember for a while, I guess."

Ginny stared at him. She knew Harry had endured some pretty incredible feats, but this just topped the cake, in her opinion.

"What is it, Gin?" He said quietly.

"Merlin's pants, Harry, will you just kiss me already?"

He looked amused. "Merlin's pants?"  
>She flushed red. "Ron, I guess."<br>"Well, to answer your question, it would be my pleasure."

She kissed him with such a force that he fell back on the bed and she was laying on top of him, their lips and hands moving together in perfect synchronization. His hands ran through the thickness of her lovely Weasley trademark hair, and her hands framed his face.

"Honestly," a voice said loudly and arrogantly. "Will you two _please _get a room? People are trying to heal here."  
>Ginny broke the kiss with Harry and looked around to find the source of the voice. Draco Malfoy. She used to despise the Slytherin, but after he became Hermione's soul mate and volunteered to come save Harry, she developed a liking to him.<p>

"Budge off, Malfoy. It's not like you won't kiss Hermione when she comes." Ginny teased him.

"Yeah, I will, but I won't do it where everyone can watch, it's disgusting watching the two of you shove your tongues down each other's throat."  
>Ginny laughed. "You and Hermione slept in any Astronomy towers lately?'<br>Malfoy turned red. "Shut up!"  
>Ginny laughed again, harder this time. Harry looked astonished.<p>

"You and Malfoy are _friends_?!"

"I suppose so." Ginny admitted laughingly.

"That's honestly the most surprising thing that's happened to me in my life." Harry said.  
>"Not even the time when you were picked for the Triwizard Tournament?" Draco asked. Harry raised his eyebrows. "You paid attention to me?"<br>"Well, of course," Draco rolled his silver eyes. "I grew up with you being the most famous wizard of all time. As if I wouldn't pay attention to you, seriously, Potter, how stupid are you?"

"I must be blindly idiotic, as I assumed you hated me," Harry admitted, holding Ginny's hand.

"Merlin, must I explain _everything_?" Draco groaned. "I obviously hated you, because you weren't even raised in the most elite Pureblood family, but everyone liked you more!"

"You learn something new every day." Harry swung his legs off of the bed and stood up shakily.

"Harry, you can't get up, sit down," Ginny instructed him. He shook his head.

"Hurry up, let's get out of here before Madam Pomfrey comes back." Ginny looked uncertain. Harry rolled his eyes, exasperated, but he did it lovingly.

"Where's my brave little Gryffindor?" He twirled her around, and she giggled slightly.

"Alright, come on, let's hurry."  
>"Can we go outside?"<br>"Gladly." She kept her hand tucked in his. As they were heading towards the door, it swung open again. Harry went as fast as he could and flopped on the bed, thinking it was Madam Pomfrey, but it was just Hermione. Her hair was mussed and frizzy, her brown eyes wide and worried like she had experienced something incredible and frightening at the same time.

"You're awake," she gasped.  
>"Of course I am," Ginny told her, puzzled, when Hermione sprinted towards Draco and smashed her mouth onto his passionately.<p>

"Let's give them some privacy, after all, it's disgusting watching the two of them shove their tongues down each other's throats." Harry winked at Ginny, and they proceeded to head outside, planning to walk and talk and laugh and probably kiss a little. Or a lot.

**oOo**

Ginny smiled blissfully. She had removed her robes, shoes, and long socks, and was laying on her back in the grass in her short skirt and blouse, with her Gryffindor tie. The grass tickled her bare feet, and she looked up at the blue, blue sky, with barely a cloud in sight. Harry's hand was entwined with hers.

He rolled over onto his stomach and played with the ends of her hair. Ginny flipped over as well and looked into those stunning emerald eyes she fell in love with.

"Hi." He smiled at her.  
>"Hi."<p>

He reached down and tickled the bottoms of her bare feet. She giggled and rolled over again, laying on top of him.

"I love you." She whispered.  
>"That's good to know." He smiled.<p>

"Harry!" She slapped him playfully. "You're supposed to tell me you love me too!"

"How about I do one better?" He rolled her off of him and stood up in front of her. She laid on her back, watching him.

"Ginny, Ginny, Ginny…." He grinned at her, and she stuck out her tongue at him. "I have loved you since my second year, four years ago. I was twelve. I didn't realize it then, but I did. When you were lying there, barely conscious, you were so strong. So powerful. So beautiful."  
>"Harry, I was eleven!" She exclaimed.<p>

"Let me finish, Gin." He laughed. "You were so beautiful, really. And I knew I wanted my soul mate to be you from that day, but my love for you only grew. And then when we became soul mates, five months ago, I knew I had to make you mine. Officially. My love for you will only keep growing, and I will keep loving you until the day I perish."  
>Ginny snorted. "Perish?"<br>"Ginnyyyy," he whined. "Anyway, what I was trying to say was…" He cleared his throat and grabbed her hands, pulling her up.

"What's going on?" Ginny demanded, curious, but he clapped his hands over her eyes and began to direct her.

"Just keep walking," he said in a sing-song voice. After about five minutes, she could hear water rushing, and Harry sat her down. It was cold and hard.

"I'm going to take my hands off, but don't peek." He instructed her. She waited a couple of minutes.

"Okay, open your eyes." He told her, and she obliged.

She was sitting on the edge of the fountain, with water spraying them slightly. And Harry, oh, Harry. He was on one knee in front of her, holding a small black box in his hands, and in it was _the _ring. The white gold, diamond ring. Then Harry said the sweetest words Ginny had ever heard:

"Ginevra Molly Weasley, will you marry me?"

"Oh my gods, Harry." She began to cry and laugh at the same time. "Yes! Gods, yes, yes, yes!" He slid the ring onto her finger, and then she leapt into his arms. He twirled her around, snogging her senseless, the fountain spraying them.

He then set her down and she held his hand with her right hand, and admired the ring on her left. Then she grinned widely at him, her eyes teary.

"Took you long enough," she teased him, and then kissed him again.


	10. Choices

Silver Pendants

Chapter Ten

**A/N: To the guest who questioned why so many people like Draco: I think so many fans like him, or even love him, because he's such a diverse character. He's been raised in this awful way, so nobody knows what he would really be like without an influence in his childhood. **

**Also, THANK YOU EVERYBODY! You guys are all so sweet. You make it all worth it! So glad that people are enjoying this story. Let me just tell you one thing: if you think it's action-packed now, just you wait ;) And the meaning of the unknown spell shall occur sometime in the near future! **

Ron turned pink. And then red, maroon, purple, green, and then white as a sheet.

"Engaged?" He growled.

"Yes, Ron. We've gone over this. Harry proposed to me last night." Ginny said slowly, as if Ron was in kindergarten. She couldn't keep the massive grin from her face. She was marrying Harry Potter!

Hermione squealed. "Oh, Ginny, I'm so happy for you! This is amazing!"  
>They hugged like little girls, giggling and squealing in excitement. "Oh, and Hermione, I would absolutely <em>love <em>it if you would be my maid of honor?"  
>Hermione stopped bouncing. "OH, Ginny, I would be honored to." They hugged again. Harry looked awkwardly at Draco.<p>

"I'm not hugging you." He stated matter-of-factly.

"Good, because I wasn't going to hug you either." Draco responded, then smiled.

Ron was still standing precisely frozen to the spot. "I don't think I'm going to allow this."  
>Ginny turned towards him carefully. Her hair was fiery, but her next words were as cool as ice. "I don't think we <em>need <em>your allowance."

Ron whipped around to face Harry. He looked furious. "Oi! This is all your fault, you traitor!"  
>"Traitor?!" Harry demanded, shocked.<p>

"Yeah! If it wasn't for you, my baby sister wouldn't be getting married!"  
>"I'm not a child, Ronald! I'm nearly seventeen, nearly of age! And Harry's almost eighteen, he's already of age!"<br>"I don't want him messing around with my baby sister!" Ron exploded, his face a deeper shade of red than his hair.

"_I'm not a baby_!" Ginny burst. "You're just jealous that you can't have who you _truly _love, and that you and Luna have barely spoken since you became soul mates three months ago! Three months!"

"There's not much Ginny and Harry haven't done already," Draco smirked, snickering at Ron's reaction.

"You….you mean…." Ron was speechless, pointing at Harry, piecing Draco's innuendo together in his head. "You and Ginny….had….YOU!" He whipped out his wand faster than Harry could explain.

"_Avada Kedavra_!" Ron bellowed, his hand shaking from anger. Ginny screamed.

Harry ducked from instinct. Luckily, Ron's spell missed him by inches. It would have instead hit Hermione if Draco had not pulled her to the ground. Ginny stalked towards her brother, positively fuming.

"You…" she breathed heavily. "You evil, slimy HORRIBLE person! I hate you! You're completely mental!"  
>"I couldn't just let him live with you, Ginny, I was protecting you!" Ron shouted.<p>

"I would rather _die _than live without Harry." Ginny responded, dead serious. She grabbed Harry's wrist and dragged him out of the room. He could barely move, he was so shocked his best mate had tried to kill him. And Ginny was boiling. Right before she exited the room, she turned back.  
>"I wish you were dead." She spat at him, then stormed out of the room, Harry in tow.<p>

Hermione shook her head disappointingly at Ron.  
>"'Mione?" He said softly, hoping for condolence. To be honest, he wasn't planning to try and kill Harry. It had just…happened.<p>

"I don't even know who you are anymore." She whispered. "Come on, Drake."

She stepped sadly out of the room. Draco trailed after her.

"Don't come near us ever again." He swore, and left Ron Weasley alone in the Gryffindor common room. Ron let out a string of colourful cuss words.

"DAMN!" He shouted, knocking over a bowl and a vase, smashing them onto the floor. And then he did something he rarely ever did. He started to cry.

**oOo**

"Does he _have _to sit with us?" Ginny whined softly. Harry nodded.  
>"I want him here less than you do, but it's the Gryffindor table, and he <em>is<em> a Gryffindor. We can't just tell him to leave."

"But he's such a horrible prat!"  
>Harry sighed reluctantly. "I know." Ron could hear them, he was certain of it, but frankly, he just didn't care. Ron deserved the worst.<p>

"Greetings, students," Dumbledore called out. The Great Hall quieted immediately, though you could still hear a few whispering conversations.

"We have noticed there have been slight…complications this year involving the pendant system." The Headmaster chose his words carefully. Ron turned slightly red, embarrassed, once he heard this. "Though the pendant system has worked successfully for nearly one hundred years, we believe it is now time for a change." He cleared his throat, looking only the slightest bit uncomfortable.

"This is why the Ministry of Magic has decided to recede the pendant system from the wizarding world. There will be no more pendants given out to future generations. Stating this, you may discard of your pendants if you choose, and choose your own partner. Or you may stay with whom you are currently with."  
>The Great Hall exploded with shouts and loud conversations. No pendants? They could date whom they chose?! It was madness!<br>Harry and Ginny looked at each other and laughed.  
>"You know, now that we have the choice, I think I'm going to choose Seamus," Ginny teased him, looking to find Seamus. Once she did, she saw he was locked in a passionate embrace with Dean Thomas.<p>

"Or maybe not." She giggled.

"I think I'm beginning to fancy Cho Chang again." Harry cocked his head to the side, pretending to be considering his options. Ginny slapped him playfully.  
>"Don't tease me like that!" She exclaimed.<p>

Harry leaned forwards to kiss her. They both knew even with the new choices they had, they would have chosen each other, and they did.  
>Harry pulled away reluctantly after he was tapped on the shoulder.<p>

"Hello, Harry," Romilda Vane greeted him perkily. Harry rolled his eyes slightly.

"Hi, Romilda," Harry replied, sounding bored.

"I was wondering, since there's the new choice and everything, if you'd like to be my soul mate?"  
>"Did you <em>not <em>just see me kissing my fiancée?" Harry said, exasperated. Romilda's eyes widened. Harry realized he had just made a horrible mistake.  
>"Ginny Weasley is your fiancée?" She demanded. Harry looked regretful.<br>"Er, yes, I suppose she is." He attempted to backtrack, but realized it was no luck. Romilda's eyes were bright, and she looked ecstatic that she had a new piece of juicy gossip to spread.

"Wonderful! Congratulations! See you later, Harry!"

"Harry!" Ginny exclaimed. "She's going to tell everybody!"  
>"So? Who cares?" Harry said indignantly, and proceeded to snog her breathless again.<p>

"Oi!" Ron grinned, his face bright. "This is bloody brilliant!"  
>"You like that we're snogging?" Ginny asked, her hands still wrapped around Harry's neck. She ran her fingers through the hair as dark as sow at the nape of his neck, which sent tingles down his spine. He would have pinned her down there and then if the Great Hall wasn't full of hundreds of students.<p>

"No, it makes me want to vomit." Ron frowned. "It's brilliant that we can pick our soul mates now!" He turned to Hermione, who looked extremely awkward and uncomfortable.

"Hermione, now you can ditch Malfoy, the cockroach, and marry me instead!"  
>"When will you drill this through your unnaturally thick skull, Ronald?" Hermione demanded, annoyed. "I <em>want <em>to be with Draco. I _love _being with Draco. He's the best thing that's ever happened to me, don't you understand?"  
>"Wait, what?" Ron inquired.<p>

Hermione sighed. "I am going to marry Draco one day. Right, Drake?"  
>He was slightly green. "Uh, right."<p>

"Ronald Weasley." It was Professor McGonagall, looking stern as always as she leaned over their table. You could see lines of age etching into her forehead and around her eyes, and she looked upset. "We need to speak to you, along with Draco Malfoy, Harry Potter, Ginny Weasley, and Hermione Granger."  
>"Yes, Professor," Hermione was the first to stand up and obey. "Come on, you lot!"<p>

McGonagall lead them to a door in the back of the Hall, which took them to a room that was empty, other than Dumbledore standing still.

"Good evening," Dumbledore said politely. "You may sit down." He gestured to a row of plush armchairs lining the wall that Ginny hadn't noticed when she entered.

"All except for you, Mr. Weasley," McGonagall said sharply.

"Er, okay…?" Ron said slowly, standing in front of McGonagall and Dumbledore nervously.

"Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore began stiffly. "Did you or did you not use an Unforgivable Curse for the death of Mr. Lucius Malfoy and the attempted death of Mr. Harry Potter?"  
>Ron froze and didn't reply.<p>

**A/N: Next chapter will be posted once I get a total of 40 reviews! REVIEW MY POTTERHEADS REVIEW!**


	11. Lilies

Silver Pendants

Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Next chapter will be posted once I get 50 reviews! **

"Uh…" Ron stalled for time. "Whaddya mean?"  
>"I mean, Mr. Weasley, did you or did you not perform <em>'Avada Kedavra' <em>to both Mr. Lucius Malfoy and Mr. Harry Potter?" Dumbledore sounded scary, Ginny thought. The only other time the calm and collected Headmaster had sounded scary was when he had demanded whether Harry had entered his name into the Goblet of Fire.

"Well, er, yeah," Ron fumbled over his words. He looked petrified.

"Explain the situations that cause you to use Unforgivable Curses." Dumbledore said firmly. "Um..er, well, we were at Rolf's, and"-

"Rolf's Jewellers?" Dumbledore questioned. Ron nodded.  
>"Ah. I rather enjoy their bracelets. Very well crafted. Continue, Mr. Weasley."<p>

Ron looked lost. "Er…okay. Ginny's pendant was black, which meant Harry was in a life-or-death situation…Hermione figured it out," he added when he noticed McGonagall's puzzled expression. Dumbledore nodded.

"And Malfoy volunteered to go with Ginny to rescue him, so it was just me and Hermione, but then"-

"What happened when you two were alone?"  
>Ron glanced quickly back at Hermione and Draco, who were holding hands. Hermione had her eyes wide and was shaking her head, barely visibly. Draco was glaring directly at Ron.<p>

"Nothing," Ron said, a bit too quickly. "I mean….I told her I loved her."

"Ah. Forbidden love." Dumbledore nodded, as if approving Ron's declaration.

Ron cleared his throat. "Anyway, Hermione and I went to save them when they didn't come back right away, and there were two Death Eaters with Draco's dad, and Draco told me to do it, so I killed him." The realization seemed to hit him. "Oh, Merlin's saggy breast, I killed him. I killed someone!" There was a mad look in his eyes.

"I didn't think Ron would kill him at the time, I just wanted Weasel to knock him out or something." Draco explained. Ron turned and glared daggers at Draco. He may have just seemed angry at the name calling, or confused, but Ginny saw the absolute loathing in his eyes.  
>"And you were okay with it?" Dumbledore inquired, curious. Draco simply shrugged.<p>

"He didn't approve of Hermione and I anyway," he said plainly. Hermione smiled at him, and he squeezed her hand back.

"Now, explain the incident with Mr. Potter here," McGonagall said sharply.

"Well, Ginny told us that Harry had…" he swallowed, fuming at the memory. "Harry had proposed, and they were engaged."  
>McGonagall's face lit up. "Oh, how absolutely wonderful! Congratulations!"<br>"Thank you," Ginny replied, smiling, then whispered in Harry's ear. "I didn't know she was such a softy!"

"I just got really angry and I reckon I tried to kill Harry." Ron concluded. His eyes widened innocently and he repeated it again, slower this time. "I tried to kill Harry. I tried to _kill _Harry!"

"Is this all true information?" McGonagall demanded to the four students on the sidelines. They all nodded: Draco confidently, Hermione unsure, Harry sadly, and Ginny with her eyes closed. She didn't want to see anything, nothing that was coming next.

"There will be a trial arranged for you at the Wizengamot court later next week to decide whether or not Azkaban is a proper option for you or not."  
>Ron nodded at Dumbledore's words, but Ginny wasn't certain whether or not Ron had even heard. He seemed thoroughly stunned.<p>

"What do you want his outcome to be?" Harry whispered to Ginny.

"I honestly don't care." She looked directly into his eyes.  
>Ron heard them speaking, because he looked slightly in their direction and visibly flinched.<p>

Ginny knew it was bad, but she didn't even feel guilty.

**oOo**

"Innocent?" Hermione shrieked. "How could they declare him innocent? He tried to kill Harry, and he _killed_ your father!"

"I'm okay with it," Draco shrugged. They were outside under a tree. Hermione had insisted on pacing over and over around the tree until she flopped to the ground, dizzy. They had attended Ron's Wizengamot hearing, where he had been declared innocent and 'under negative influence.' Hermione had nearly exploded, she was so furious.

"I can't believe I ever liked him," she kept repeating. "He's a pig. He's a jealous, slimy pig."

"I agree," Draco consoled her. "Just don't even worry about him."

Harry was lying on his back on the grass, with Ginny curled up next to him, her head on his chest, listening to Hermione rant on and on about Ron. Their hands were linked, and Ginny couldn't stop admiring her engagement ring.  
>"When should the wedding be?" Ginny asked him suddenly. He twisted to face her.<br>"Merlin, I don't know, I haven't thought of it much." He said honestly. She stuck her tongue out at him. "Come on, Gin. Doesn't the wife do all the wedding planning?"  
>Suddenly something came to Ginny. She felt like slapping herself on the forehead.<p>

"Mum!" She exclaimed. "Oh, I forgot to tell Mum about our engagement! She's going to kill me!"

Harry laughed. "How could you forget to tell your own mother you're getting married? What a horrible daughter you are!"  
>"Harry!"<p>

"I'm just joking, relax. I don't know, maybe I'd like a wedding in autumn?"  
>"Well, it's nearly July, so perhaps October? Does that give enough time to plan and organize a wedding?"<br>"How am I supposed to know? It's not like this is my third wedding or anything." Harry raised an eyebrow and winked teasingly.

"Wow. It's almost July, which means June is halfway over, which mean it's almost summer break!" Ginny smiled slyly at Harry. "You are staying at the Burrow over the summer, am I right?"  
>"I've stayed at the Burrow for the past two summers in a row."<br>"Yes, but now you actually have a reason to." She winked back. He laughed at her, grabbed her hand, and tugged her on top of him. He leaned forwards to kiss her, but she rolled off of him, giggling. He grabbed a flower near him and presented it to her while she was laying, laughing, on her stomach.  
>"For you, my dear," he tucked the flower in her hair. She felt it.<br>"It's a lily," she observed. She gave him a sideways glance, judging his reaction. "I think I'd like to have lilies in the wedding, don't you?"  
>"I think that would be perfect." He got a hold of both of her wrists and pulled her close to him, comforting and safe in his embrace. He finally kissed her, not a kiss full of passion but a soft, long kiss full to the brim of love.<p>

Ginny felt eyes on her and pulled away, seeing Hermione and Draco staring at her and Harry. She stood up and brushed herself off.

"See? They obviously love each other. How come we're not like that?" Hermione demanded, her eyes glossy.

"Because we're different people." Draco rolled his eyes.

"You still love me, and I still love you, just like they love each other." Hermione snapped, rubbing away a tear that must have been rolling down her cheek.  
>"Hey, I love you." Draco held her face in both of his hands, making her look into his silvery grey eyes.<p>

"Prove it!" Hermione yelled, suddenly furious with him. She was mad about Ron. She was mad that she couldn't help still having lingering feelings for the way he was before, no matter what he'd done to her and her friends, and her love. She was mad that Harry and Ginny were getting married, but she wasn't really mad about that, she was mad that her and Draco were both eighteen and he hadn't asked her to marry him, and she was mad that she wanted to get married but she knew she was too young, and she was mad that she was too young, and she was mad at Draco but she didn't know why, she just was, and she was mad and sad and stressed and depressed and she needed him.

He kissed her suddenly, the impact of his lips on hers just what she needed to shed those horrid feelings of anger. Right before they nearly fainted from lack of air, they surfaced to breathe.  
>"How was that?" Draco whispered, smiling faintly. She nodded.<br>"I love you too." She smiled back. Harry and Ginny were still kissing, covered in grass and stray lilies, growing near the lake.  
>"Come on, let's go back inside." She turned and began walking back to the castle, waiting for him to catch up with her and snake his palm into hers, when she heard sounds of coughing that made her heart drop to her toes. She spun around. Draco was keeled over, grabbing his gut, and he coughed and coughed, as if he was choking. Ginny and Harry sprung apart as if stung and Hermione sprinted back to him. Draco tried to catch his breath, but it was evident he wasn't able to breathe.<p>

"Draco, Drake, it's okay. I'm here, it's okay." She was petrified out of her mind. He spit black and red on the ground, gagging, and rolled onto his back, moaning out in horrible pain. His pale, lovely face was contorted with pain and when he opened his stormy eyes, he looked scared. Draco wasn't often scared. His fear was what scared Hermione the most.

Ginny was standing there, frozen in horror. If he died, she knew Hermione wouldn't be able to handle it, especially with Ron being nominated innocent. Harry was standing next to her, definitely scared out of his wit, or else he'd be doing something heroic to save somebody's life once again.  
>"<em>Do something!<em>" Hermione shrieked. "_Save him!_"

Harry snapped out of his icy, frozen state and rushed over to Draco's side. Suddenly, before Harry could even draw his wand, Draco began convulsing.

"Oh my gods," Hermione whispered, breathing hard and crying. _He's dying. His father's spell is killing him. He's going to die. _

As soon as it had started, Draco stopped shaking, and he lay still, cold, and limp.

Hermione thought that was even worse.

**A/N: Review what you think is going to happen to Draco in the next few chapters! xoxo**


	12. Ron's POV

Silver Pendants

Chapter Twelve

**A/N: Thank you EvannaLynch4151 for your absolutely BRILLIANT ideas! You're amazing! I'd love to take your suggestions, starting with this chapter from Ron's POV. Some fresh insight was greatly needed! THANK YOU!**

I pace the cold, wet floor, agitated. If they declared me innocent, why did they lock me up? Without my wand, I might add. I am innocent, I am. I haven't done anything wrong, really. Everything I've done was for two good reasons. To protect Ginny from Harry, and to make Hermione realize she loves me. Ginny's my baby sister, she doesn't know what she wants or what's good for her. I needed to make her see that Harry was bad news for her. Not that he's not my best mate or anything, but being my sister's soul mate? He's gonna fool around with her and get her pregnant or something! She's so dumb sometimes, I can't let her have her soul mate at sixteen, and get engaged at sixteen! I feel my face contort with rage, and I pick up a rock from the ground and throw it as hard as I can at the brick wall, screaming in anger. The rock shatters and falls to pieces on the ground. I breathe heavily and sit on the ground, my trousers getting wet, but I don't care. It has been happening more and more, and I can't control my anger fits anymore. They started when I was around eleven, I'd feel bursts of fury. But they were easy to control. Now, I'm almost always fuming and furious. I can't help it anymore. Sometimes I do thing like what I did to Harry. Sometimes I can't remember anything after my anger outbreak. Sometimes I do worse. I've been turning to alcohol, like Firewhiskey, and even drugs whenever I can get my hands on them. I can't sleep anymore, I'm an…an…insomniac? I can't stop it, I can't….I get too angry. I can't handle it.

**oOo**

It wasn't supposed to end up this way. _I _wasn't supposed to end up this way. Mum wouldn't want to feed me for months if she knew how bad it was. I 'spose I should start from the very beginning.

I've liked Hermione for five years, since our second year at Hogwarts. I was twelve, and somehow, I reckon, I knew I was in love. My mum told me it was inconvenient to be in love when I was twelve, and besides, Hermione wasn't my soul mate, now was she? But I knew she simply had to be. I fell in love with the girl with the rabbit-toothed smile and frizzy brown hair. Anyway, my pendant first turned gold when I was with Hermione. Mind you, Harry was there too, under the Invisibility Cloak in the Astronomy tower. Then Ginny went all mental, and Harry must have knocked over a stack of books, but I was going mental too, because my pendant (real men don't wear necklaces) turned gold when I was right next to Hermione. So I was happy, real happy, until Hermione told us the next day that her soul mate was Draco. That was when my anger bursts started getting really bad. This was five months ago, and they just keep getting worse. I don't know what to do anymore. Anyway, Draco told me to kill his dad, and I hate saying it, but it felt good. I liked killing Lucius Malfoy. I enjoyed the feeling it gave me. You got to believe me though, I didn't want to kill Harry. I'd never kill Harry. I mean, he was my first real friend. He's the only one that knows about my anger issues, I guess you'd call them. I don't think he knows how much worse they are. Ever since starting with drugs, I've been…different.

So yeah, I stole their pendants from when they were sleeping. It was easy getting Harry's from around his neck. But I had to sneak his Invisibility Cloak out of his trunk and sneak into the girls' dormitory to take her pendant. Then, I switched them with mine and Hermione's, so Hermione and I would have Ginny's and Harry's. That way we'd be soul mates and they wouldn't. It _had _to be done, if I wanted Hermione to fall in love with me. It had to be. This way I'd be killing two birds with one spell: Ginny would be safe from Harry, and I would be able to be with Hermione. I knew she'd love me once she had the chance, once she was allowed to.

**oOo**

"You can come out now," the fat guard with the mustache twists the large brass key in the lock and let me out. I ignore him and don't thank him like Mum would have wanted me to, I am… craving Firewhiskey, and my drugs. I've hidden them like Harry hides his things, rolled inside a pair of socks. Ginny tends to like to wear other people's socks, though, so I've been having a bit of trouble hiding them from her.

There's a group of Hogwarts students in the waiting room of…where ever I was. Harry, Hermione, Draco, and my sister. Draco has been tagging along with our group now. It makes me furious.

"What do you lot want?" I say, desperately wanting to leave. I want my pair of socks. More specifically, what was in them.

"Ronald, what is the matter with you?" Hermione whispers fiercely. "What are you doing with your life?"

_Destroying myself. _"Nothing."

"I beg to differ," Hermione glowers, her face turning redder and redder with anger. "I know what you're doing, and you need serious help!" She shook her head. "And to think, I used to like you!"  
>My jaw drops. This is it, this is what I've been waiting for! "You did?"<br>"In our first and second years, I think," she tries to remember. "You were so sweet and silly, and now look at you. I don't want to speak to you ever again. You're ruining your entire life. I despise you." She looked close to tears now.  
>"Hermione, calm down, it's okay." Draco murmurs, wrapping his arms around her middle. She takes a couple of deep breaths and glares at me.<p>

"I'm leaving." She tosses her head over her shoulder and gives me one last, murdering glance. "And if you get restraining order papers by owl mail, don't be surprised. Sign them."

**oOo**

The thing that hurt the most wasn't being locked up, or having Hermione threaten to send restraining order papers to sign, or even having people know my drug secret. The worst thing was that I wasn't invited to Ginny and Harry's wedding. They said it might not be the best idea for me right now. My little sister doesn't want me to attend her wedding with my best mate. Or at least he was. It scares me, how mad I am. It's like I'm so angry I can't tell right from left. Or in this case, right from wrong. I can't help knowing that I'm going to have to get revenge. And oh, will it be sweet.

**A/N: So this is my insight into Ron's mind right now, and why he's been so messed up lately. I'm sorry if you don't like the way I'm portraying him, but this is my story and Ron needs to be like this to support the plotline. I'm sorry this chapter took a little longer than I hoped it would. Can't wait for the story to start getting really good! xoxo**


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